THE KING'S POSSESSION

Chapter 71

Chapter 71: The Beginning




Victoria's carriage finally approached the palace gates, and as the horses halted, the footman announced their arrival with a booming voice.

"Open the gates! Her Majesty, the Queen, has arrived!" The guards snapped to attention, their sabatons clanking in unison as they saluted. The gate creaked open, and the coachman guided the carriage further inside.

The moment the carriage stopped in the palace grounds, Victoria's footman assisted her down. Her heels clicked against the cobblestone path as each step echoed in the stillness. She walked briskly towards the inner palace while her heart pounding with dread at the memory of Leticia's words.

Victoria's mind raced. It was inconceivable that her hired men had failed. They were professionals, experts in their craft. The only objective had been to ensure Isabel's child, Lucian's true heir to the throne, was no longer a threat.

As she rounded the corner, the scene that greeted her was harrowing. Isabel was on her knees in the inner palace grounds, crying uncontrollably, clutching a bundle of bloodied clothes. The sight of the child's garments, stained with dark red, struck a chord deep within Victoria. It was a sight too familiar, a reminder of her own loss years ago.

Lucian stood behind Isabel, his face masked with unreadable emotion. His attendants and royal guards were gathered around, their expressions somber and tense.

Victoria felt a pang of guilt tug at her heart. For a brief moment, she was transported back to the day she had discovered Benjamin's lifeless body, her own heart breaking in agony. She understood Isabel's pain all too well, but the necessity of securing her child's future overwhelmed her compassion. She steeled herself, pushing aside the empathy that threatened to weaken her resolve.

She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and walked forward with determination. Her face was composed, her demeanor regal. The footman, sensing her resolve, stepped aside as she approached the grieving scene.

"Your Majesty," a guard announced her presence, drawing Lucian's attention.

Victoria met Lucian's eyes as a flicker of emotion passed between them. She nodded curtly, her expression betraying nothing of the guilt within. "What has happened here?" she asked, feigning innocence.

Lucian's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Do not even ask," he replied, glaring at her.

Victoria chuckled nervously, her defensive instinct kicking in. "Why do you look at me as if I did this?" she questioned, gesturing towards Isabel, who was overwhelmed with sorrow.

Isabel who caught Victoria's rude gesture, abruptly stood up, clutching her child's bloodied garments in her hand. She pushed Victoria's hand away, prompting the guards to react and step forward.

"Touch her and you will answer to me!" Lucian warned the men while he himself was caught off guard by Isabel's action.

"You do not point a finger at me as if I am only a mere insect beneath your notice!" Isabel shouted, her voice trembling with rage and grief.

Victoria's heart pounded as she stood before the scene of chaos and heartbreak she had orchestrated. The necessity of her actions weighed heavily on her, yet she remained steadfast, her resolve unbroken.

"Oh, my, my. You dare address me with such insolence? Has the fact that you are the king's mistress given you this newfound boldness?" Victoria's voice dripped with condescension, her eyes narrowing with disdain. The servants who witnessed the scene began murmuring around them.

But Isabel stood her ground, her grief transforming into a deeper resolve. Her eyes, red and swollen from tears, blazed with a defiant fire. "I have nothing left to lose," she declared, her voice trembling but unyielding. "I will not cower before you, nor will I be silenced by your scorn!"

And yet Victoria only raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Is that so? And what do you hope to achieve with this bravery of yours? Are you hoping to strike a blow for the sake of your dead child?"

"No. I seek only justice for my son and to make you feel the weight of your own cruelty. You will not break me, not now, not ever!"

Isabel's words hung in the air like a bitter promise, and with a sudden burst of fury, she lunged forward, her fist swinging with all the strength of her anger. Her knuckles connected with Victoria's cheek with a sharp crack that echoed through the tense silence of the courtyard.

Victoria staggered backward, her eyes wide with shock and her hand flying up to her face. She teetered on her heels, her dignity unraveling as she stumbled against the cold stone wall of the palace. The impact had made her stagger, and she struggled to regain her composure, her once-pristine gown now rumpled and askew.

"You murderous wretch!" Isabel screamed, her voice hoarse with desperation. "How dare you take my son's life and then stand here as if you are untouchable! May you rot in hell for what you've done!" Her face was a mask of fury, her eyes wild with the truth she had uncovered.

Victoria with her pride and poise shattered, could only watch in stunned silence as Isabel continued her assault. Her face burned with pain and embarrassment as she scrambled to her feet, her regal facade crumbling.

Lucian's royal guards, caught off guard by the sudden violence, hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to restrain Isabel. However, their efforts were clumsy and uncoordinated, their attempts to separate the two women only adding to the chaos.

It was Lucian himself who intervened. He crossed the distance between them in swift, purposeful strides. With determination, he wrapped his arms around Isabel's waist, pulling her away from Victoria's weakened form. The force of his grip was almost gentle, but it was enough to wrench Isabel away from Victoria's vulnerable state.

"Enough!" Lucian commanded, his voice cutting through the troubling scene.

"Take the queen away!" He ordered, his voice laced with barely contained fury. The guards moved swiftly, approaching Victoria with stern expressions.

Victoria with her face still flushed from the assaults, staggered back as she was flanked by Lucian's guards. One of them stepped forward, his hand reaching out to guide her away. "Come with us, Your Majesty."

Victoria's eyes darted around the courtyard, seeking any form of reprieve or redemption, but the cold gaze of Lucian held her in place. She took a trembling step backward, her hands instinctively reaching to smooth her crumpled gown. "This is absurd! I am the queen!" she protested weakly, her voice betraying her fear and uncertainty.

Lucian's eyes narrowed, his anger not abated but focused now. "You are... tired. My queen. Rest for now."

The battered queen opened her mouth to argue, but the weight of his command and the forceful grip of the guards silenced her. With a final, bitter glance at Isabel and Lucian, she was escorted to her chambers.

As the guards led her away, Victoria's eyes were drawn to Isabel, who was still held tightly in Lucian's embrace. Isabel's sobs muffled against Lucian's chest, her shoulders shaking with the force of her grief. Lucian gently stroked her hair, his own eyes reflecting a depth of sorrow and resolve that Victoria had never seen from him.

"Shh, Isabel," Lucian murmured, his voice tender despite the storm of emotions behind it. "We will get through this together. I promise you, we will find justice for Liam."

Isabel's fingers clung desperately to the bloodied clothes as she drew back slightly from Lucian's embrace, her tear-streaked face looking at him.

"Justice?" Isabel's voice trembled with raw anguish. "You speak of justice, Lucian? You, who took away the very people who made me whole after you shattered my world? And now you dare to lecture me on justice? You and the queen are two sides of the same coin! I despise you!" Her words were harsh, a desperate outburst born from the depths of her grief.

With that, she turned her back on him, her shoulders shaking. But before she could take another step, Lucian's hand shot out, gripping her arm with a force that brooked no argument.

Without a word, he spun her around and, with a sudden and surprising strength, lifted her effortlessly over his shoulder. Isabel's shocked scream pierced the air as she struggled, her fists pounding ineffectually against his back.

"Let me go!" she shouted, "How dare you—"

But Lucian remained resolutely silent, his jaw set and his eyes steely with a cold, unyielding resolve.

The way he held her, as though he was bearing the world, spoke volumes. It was clear that his anger had reached a boiling point, but it was an anger that he channeled into a determined silence rather than words.

One thing was certain:

Lucian was beyond furious.